Apparatus for folding tops of boots or shoes.



Phtentad Ian. 9, I900.

w. .1. mx. APPARATUS FOR FOLDING TOPS OF BOOTS OB SHOES.

(Application filed June 16, 1898.)

m: uowm: mans co. PHOTO-LETHQ, WASHNGYDN n c EETcE.

PATENT WILLIAM J. DIX, OF MILFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR FOLDING TOPS OF BOOTS OR SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,885, dated January9, 1900.

Application filed June 15, 1898. Serial No. 683,478. (No model.)

To all w hor n it 17004 concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. DIX, of Milford, in the county ofWorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inApparatus for Folding the Tops of Boots or Shoes, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to provide a novel apparatus by whichto fold and crimp or set the tops of shoes after the lining has beenstitched to the top and preparatory to forming the bead around the topof the shoe.

Ordinarily the top and lining are sewed together wrong side out, andafter some cement has been applied to the inner side of the top or tothe inner side of What is to be the lining, they being then exposedoutwardly, the lining is turned into the top and the top is folded nearits junction with the lining, and by a hammer, either operated by handor by machinery, the leather is pounded to properly fold it in a creaseand at the same time stick the top and lining together preparatory tostitching the same near the top to form a bead. I have provided anapparatus by which to fold and crease the top after it has been linedand preparatory to stitching the bead referred to, my apparatus workingperfectly, rapidly, and economically.

One part of my invention consists of a thinedged horn over and on whichthe material, as a shoe-top, is laid and stretched to thus define itspoint of folding, combined with a feeding device, preferably a pair ofrolls, which may act upon the folded top, draw it over the horn, andcrease the top in the foldline established by the upper edge'of thehorn, the said rolls pinching and creasing the material firmly, so thatit remains in that condition throughout the manufacture of the shoe.Other features of my invention will be hereinafter set forth, anddescribed in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents in front elevation an apparatusembodying my invention, a shoe-top being shown as applied there'- to,the lining being toward the operator. Fig. 2 is a partial section on theline 00. Fig. 3 shows the work to be done, and Fig. 4 shows the top andlining as first put together.

In practice let it be supposed that at repre sents part of the top of aboot or shoe and ct the lining, the same lying faced together or Wrongside out, and a represents a line of stitches to unite the same. putinto working condition by turning the lining a over, as shown in Fig. 3,creasing the leather of the top in the line a and thereafter the beadwill be defined and made by a second row of stitches, as (1 If desired,cement may be applied to the leather of the top before it is turned orcreased at ct, so that portions of the leather of the top to come incontact may adhere by reason of the cement.

The lining a (shown in Fig. 1) shows an attached leather facing a and atongue 017, attached to the facing in any usual manner.

I will now describe the apparatus for creasing or crimping the top.

A represents an upright or column having an overhanging arm A, providedwith an open space or slot closed at its outer end by a removable plateA held in place by suitable screws A 1 In this space I fix a box orbearing B, having flanges 12 b, said box receiving a shaft B, providedat its lower end with a wheel B held in place by a suitable nut 13 Iplace asecond box or bearing D, having flanges 12 in said space, itreceiving a shaft D, to which is attached, by a suitable nut D a Wheel DThe shaft B is provided at its upper end with a bevel-gear O, engagedand rotated by a bevel-gear O on a shaft 0 having a suitable belt orother pulley C by which to apply power to the said shaft. These twowheels B constitute feeding means, and they act to crease the top, andfor this purpose they are shown as substantially cylindrical at theirupper ends, as at b d, and somewhat beveled or truncated at their lowerends, as at b d the beveled or truncated portions being preferablysomewhat lightly scored to thereby better adapt them to engage and movethe material of the upper and lining positively over and along the uppersurface of the thin-edged horn or work-support E, shown as adjustablyconnected by suitable bolts E to a stand E attached to the column by asuitable bolt, as E The front end of this horn terminates between therolls B l) at their truncated portions and neartlleir This top will be 5f, the stress of which is adjusted by means of a screw f, threaded andinserted through the end plate A referred to, said spring normallyacting on said box or bearing to keep the periphery of the roll Dpressed up to and substantially in contact with the periphery of theroll B The overhanging part of the column receives loosely a short studg, to which is fixed a lug or projection g, which normally rests againstthe box or hearing D, as represented in Fig. 2. This stud 9 receivesupon its outer end an arm g (represented by dotted lines,) the end ofsaid arm contacting with the end of a lever g (also shown by dottedlines,) pivoted at g on a stud extended from the overhanging part of thecolumn, the rear end of said lever 9 having joined to it the upper endof a rod 9 (also shown by dotted lines,) said rod being extended, let itbe supposed, down to the door, where it may have attached to it atreadle upon which the operator may put his foot when it is desired toturn the arm g and the lug or projection g and cause it to move the boxor hearing D slightly against and to compress the spring 1", this beingdone to enable the rolls D B to be separated slightly, as when the workis to be applied or withdrawn or whenevera vertical seam comes in thetop which is being folded or creased, it being understood that theapparatus herein described is adapted to fold or crease a top of anyform and either before or after uniting the two parts of the top intoone.

The drawings show but one part of the top; but the apparatus would workequally well if the rear edge h of the lining and top were united to aback strip or in a back seam, as commonly practiced in the manufactureof boots and shoes.

In order that the two rolls l3 and D may move together in unison, theshaft B has been provided with a pinion m, which engages with a pinion mof the same size applied to the shaft D.

Let it be supposed that the lining and top have been united, as stated,wrong side out, by a line of stitching, as at a and that the lining hasbeen turned inwardly, as represented in Fig. 3, so that the liningconceals the stitching M. In this condition the top will be applied tothe horn E, and, as shown, the lining will occupy a position in a lowerhori zonital plane, leaving the leather part a, of the top lyingdirectly on the upper edge of the horn, so that only the leather partwill be creased in the line a". In this condition the operator, holdingthe lining in one hand and the leather part of the top in the otherhand, will strain the same down onto the thin edge of the top of thehorn and will move the top on the horn in the direction of the arrow,Fig. 1, until the lining and top come into the bight of the rolls, andas soon as the rolls get hold of the top and lining the said rollsrotate rapidly and feed the top and lin ing positively along the horn,while the operator yet continues to hold the same down firmly on thethin upper edge of the horn, the rolls acting to fold and crease in adefined manner the leather of the upper, the crease being so thoroughlydefined that it will retain its position while another operator takesthe folded top to a sewing-machine to receive the stitching a to definethe bead about the upper edge of the top.

The thin-edged born or work-support is made adjustable vertically andhorizontally to thereby accommodate for folding material of difierentthicknesses or as the requirements of the work may demand.

The rolls D B constitute feeding mechanism to draw the material over thehorn, and the space between the rolls where they normally contacttogether is tapering, so that the material lying upon the top of thehorn may have proper entrance between the rolls to be pressed, folded,and creased.

It will be noticed that the upper sides of the rollxsee roll D arechambered,and in the chamber I may place a bit of felt, so that any oilused to lubricate the shafts b or d 'run ning down said shafts may comeupon said packing, and owing to the groove the oil will not escape andget onto the work.

Preferably the inner wall of the chamber will be somewhat inclined ortapered from its top outwardly and downwardly.

The apparatus described may be used to fold and crease leather for anypurpose.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for setting the crease in the tops of boots or shoes, athin-edged work-support or horn adapted to receive upon it and supportthe material to be folded and creased combined with mechanism near theend of said horn to engage the folded material only at or near the lineof said crease to pinch and flatten the same; substantially asdescribed.

2. A thin-edged horn adapted to receive upon it and support the materialto be folded, and creased, combined with rolls located on opposite sidesof said horn and near the end thereof to engage the folded material onlyat or near the crease thereof to pinch and flatten the same, aspring-controlled bearing supporting the shaft of one of said rolls andnor= mally acting to keep the rolls pressed one toward the other;substantially as described.

3. A thin-edged horn adapted to receive upon it the material to befolded and creased, combined with a pair of rolls having theirperipheries somewhat cut away or reduced to leave a tapering openingbetween them in which the folded part of the material may enter readilyand be pinched, said rolls also acting to feed the material off'fromsaid horn, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus for creasing leather, a work-support or horn havingits upper edge beveled to receive upon it and support a fold of thematerial, combined with feeding-rolls to nip the material only at thecrease or fold thereof and at a point close to the line of said edge toflatten and pinch the material in the line of the upper beveled edge ofsaid horn, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the class described, two shafts, each having a roll,a portion of the surface of each roll, being truncated, gearing ablingthe apparatus to be adapted to fold material of any thickness,substantially as described.

7. In a machine of the class described, two vertical shafts eachprovided with a roll having at its upper side a chamber to receive oilwhich may drip down from the shafts, said chambers obviating the escapeof oil onto the exterior of the rolls, substantially as described.

8. A thin-edged work-support or horn adapted to receive upon it thematerial to be folded or creased, combined with rolls located onopposite sides of said horn to engage said material and pinch, flatten,and crease it together, the axes of said rolls being parallel to theplane of the horn substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM J. DIX.

Witnesses:

GUY STANLEY, J OHN B. KING, Jr.

